


Slipped Away

by twinklingpaopufruit



Series: Supernatural AU Series [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Be patient, Fluff, I PROMISE I WILL FIX IT IN ANOTHER WORK, M/M, Supernatural AU - Freeform, again I know it says major character death, hunter seungcheol, im getting there, it will be worth it, prequel to Fare Thee Well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25520248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinklingpaopufruit/pseuds/twinklingpaopufruit
Summary: "How do you kill a demon?" Wonwoo suddenly asks."I'm sorry?" Seungcheol is obviously taken back."How do you kill a demon?" Wonwoo repeats. He knows Mingyu is watching him with concern.A story explaining how Wonwoo and Mingyu end up as hunters to the supernatural world.*major character death fixed in part 5
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Jeon Wonwoo/Wen Jun Hui | Jun
Series: Supernatural AU Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752166
Comments: 19
Kudos: 56





	Slipped Away

**Author's Note:**

> this is a prequel to Fare Thee Well, not necessary to read to understand this plot.

~I didn't get around to kiss you  
Goodbye on the hand  
I wish that I could see you again  
I know that I can't  
Oh, I hope you can hear me, 'cause I remember it clearly~

An orange tabby cat with blue eyes, which always hangs around the dorm building, brushes up against Wonwoo's leg the second he steps outside. 

The cat purrs over and over.

Wonwoo leans down and scratches the back of its ears, a small smile tugging at his lips. The tabby cat playfully bites at his wrist when it's had enough and scurries off into the bushes. Wonwoo stands straight, adjusts his backpack, and continues walking toward the library. 

It's Saturday afternoon, and he has a paper due on Monday. He's determined to get it finished today because he promised Mingyu he would take the train back home to visit him on Sunday. Typically, Wonwoo goes back to Changwon every weekend. He doesn't have many social ties here in the university, despite being two months. He's too shy, and for the most part, talking to anyone new and engaging in small talk gives him anxiety. He decides to stick to his studies. Plus, he enjoys visiting his adoptive brother. 

Wonwoo enters through the main entrance of the library and sighs. Students occupy the rows of desks and computers. He can't see an empty spot at all, so he decides to head to the second floor. Same problem even after walking across the entire place. He retakes the stairs to try the third floor. 

After careful searching, he finds a secluded table pushed against a wall and hidden behind a row of bookshelves. Wonwoo is relieved. 

However, as soon as he pulls out the chair and sits down, an embarrassing scream bursts out of his mouth. Wonwoo jumps out his seat and immediately peeks underneath the table.

He spots a young man sitting cross-legged and smiling sheepishly at him. The man removes his earbuds and crawls out from underneath the table. 

"Sorry," The young man chuckles, standing to full height. "I needed a place to charge my phone, and my cord didn't reach all the way." He points to his phone that's plugged into the outlet underneath the table.

Wonwoo awkwardly adjusts his glasses. "Sorry I didn't know you were there."

"It's okay." The man rubs his palms against his jeans. "I'm Wen Junhui." He smiles, and Wonwoo has to adjust his glasses again to give his hands something to do. An embarrassed flush spots his cheeks, and he can't look Junhui in the eye. 

The young man looks to be around his age and height. He's rather slender but with broad shoulders. His hair is a dark brown and straight, parted slightly to one side. And his smile takes over the lower half of his face in a radiant glow. 

"And you are?" Junhui asks curiously.

"Uh...Jeon Wonwoo."

"Great, so Wonwoo, I'm still under ten percent. Is it okay if I keep charging my phone? You can stay. I'll be real still and quiet. You won't even know I'm there."

The thought of working on his paper while an attractive young man sits at his feet makes Wonwoo's stomach churn. He won't be able to focus at all. "You can go ahead. I'll just...go find somewhere else."

"You sure? I don't mind sharing."

Wonwoo nods rapidly, already stepping back. "Yeah, go ahead and take it."

Junhui thanks him, and Wonwoo dashes out of the library and back to his dorm. He'll just work on his paper on the way to Changwon. 

The next week Wonwoo returns to the library because he has a chemistry report due. He spots the same table on the third floor, tucked away behind the bookshelves. He rushes to it before anyone else does. He immediately drops his backpack onto the table, pretending he doesn't see another college student frowning six feet away. The college student turns and searches for another spot. Wonwoo begins to unpack his backpack and pulls out his laptop and charger.

Wonwoo bends to plug it in, but he shouts, _so startled,_ that he falls back onto his ass. He meets the eyes of Wen Junhui, who is removing his earbuds and laughing as loudly as one can inside a library.

Wonwoo blushes, instantly standing back onto his feet. Junhui crawls from beneath the table and stands. 

"So, we meet again?" Junhui says in a teasing dark tone, laughter still bubbling brightly inside him. 

_"I uhh," Wonwoo stammers._

The last of Junhui's chuckles leave him, and he says, "The floor is a pretty comfy place to study." He points to the backpack and book that are underneath the table. "You should try it sometime. Join me, we can make a study session out of it."

Wonwoo shakes his head. "I'll just look somewhere else."

Junhui bends down to grab his stuff, "No, it's okay. You take it. You let me have it last time. It's only fair."

Wonwoo watches Junhui hoist his backpack's strap across his chest, and leave in the direction of the stairs. Wonwoo sits on the chair, keeping his eyes on Junhui. When the young man is down the aisle, he turns over his shoulder and smiles at Wonwoo. Wonwoo's eyes open wide, and he hurriedly stuffs his face into his laptop. 

The third time Wonwoo visits the library and sees the same table, he makes a note to look under it before he's scared out of his wits again. 

"What are you doing?"

Wonwoo ends up screaming. He stands ramrod straight and spins around until he's face to face with Junhui. Junhui is smiling again, and Wonwoo's insides are turning into putty. "I uhh—" Wonwoo isn't quite sure how to reply. _I just wanted to make sure you weren't there to attack my legs._

"I'm not always under tables," Junhui says. "Can I sit with you? Everywhere else is full."

Wonwoo looks stupidly at Junhui and then finally says, "As long as you don't end up on the floor."

"No promises."

Junhui sets his stuff down on the opposite end of the table, and Wonwoo cautiously sits down across from him. He ends up taking his own supplies out of his backpack and decides to work. Junhui sets his earbuds, and Wonwoo appreciates that because he doesn't think he can make small talk right now.

He pulls out his own headphones and gets to work as well. Occasionally, he glances at Junhui, sitting across from him. Junhui is focused on his work as he types away on his computer. He barely blinks, and he's deathly still. However, after fifteen minutes, he shifts, and Wonwoo sees Junhui digging through his backpack. He pulls out some gummies, stuffs five into his mouth, and then offers the bag wordlessly to Wonwoo. He stares at it and then digs his hand inside to take a couple. Junhui grins and leaves the bag in between them.

Wonwoo is too embarrassed to get more, but he appreciates Junhui's offer.

They stay in the library for five hours. They don't say much other than asking each other to watch each other's stuff as they go take a bathroom break. It's nice, and Wonwoo doesn't feel pressured like he usually does in situations like this.

When Wonwoo finishes all his assignments for the week, he stands to his feet at the same time Junhui does.

"Oh, you don't have to go," Wonwoo says.

Junhui shakes his head. "I have to go back to the dorm to change for my shift at the cafe."

"Oh, you live in the dorms too?" 

"Yeah, are you heading there?"

Wonwoo nods.

Junhui smiles, "We can walk together."

They step in sync down the three flights of stairs and outside the library. 

"So, do you always go to the library on Saturday?" Junhui asks as they walk together to the dorms.

"Yeah, I kind of have to—with work and everything."

"Me too. Where do you work?"

"At an ice cream shop."

"Oooh, maybe I'll pay you a visit. Ice cream always sounds good."

Wonwoo hung his head feeling shy again. "You said you worked at a cafe?"

"Yeah! I feel like I always end up smelling like coffee and milk. Do you like coffee? I get free coffee at work and can bring you some next Saturday."

"Coffee actually sounds really nice."

Junhui smiles again, but his face falls slightly as they reach the dorms. The university has three dorm buildings, each one has four floors. Wonwoo is in the first building, and he stops right in front of it. 

Junhui stops too. It looks like he's going to say something, but then the same orange tabby cat that has been following Wonwoo since he arrived at the university suddenly meows at their feet. They both look down. The cat is purring and trying to crawl up Junhui's leg. Junhui laughs, and it settles warmth into Wonwoo's lungs. 

Junhui bends down and picks up the cat into his arms. The cat twirls, displaying its belly, and Junhui scratches it with a contented smile. "What are you doing tomorrow?" Junhui murmurs. 

Wonwoo flushes only because Junhui is red in the face.

"I um...have plans."

_"Oh."_

"It's not like I'm trying to blow you off! I always visit my brother on Sunday. I have to take a train to Changwon. It's an hour from here."

Junhui's smile returns, "Next time then?"

Wonwoo finds himself agreeing. Junhui sets the cat down, and the cat sits at Wonwoo's feet, staring up at him with it's swirling blue eyes. Wonwoo stares back, and before he registers what he's doing, he's calling out Junhui's name.

The young man turns around and stops in the middle of the two buildings.

Wonwoo jogs up to him, pulling out his phone and going into his contacts. "Uh, what's your kakao?"

Junhui grins, and Wonwoo dares to think it looks flirtatious. "You want my messaging id?"

"So you can get me that coffee you promised."

"Ha, and here I thought a boy found me cute." He grabs Wonwoo's phone and types in his name and hands it back. He pulls out his own phone and accepts the request. Wonwoo's phone vibrates in his hand. "I'll message you after my shift, okay?"

Wonwoo nods and watches Junhui leave again. He hears a cat meow, and Wonwoo looks down as the cat stares back at him. 

He ends up texting Jun—yes, Jun—a lot throughout the week. They chat about everything. They don't have a lot of the same interests, but their conversations flow together well, so Wonwoo doesn't care that Jun sucks at PC games or doesn't read the same books that he does. 

Their schedules don't match up except for Saturday, which is a shame because that's Wonwoo's catch up day. So when Junhui messages him that his afternoon Saturday shift got moved to Monday, Wonwoo works diligently throughout the week to finish up as much homework and studying as he can. 

As he's typing out his research proposal for his history class, he gets a message from Jun. He hastily reaches for his phone and smiles as Jun sends him a picture of a cute puppy wearing a tutu.

Wonwoo likes the message. For some reason, Jun emboldens him like no one has before, so he takes a chance and messages in returns:

>>Do you want to hang out on Saturday? For lunch?

<<Yes! 🤗 Where?

>>for some ramen? 🍜 

<<😏

>>Not like that.

<< 🤪🤪 sounds good! I can't wait. I've been working hard on my assignments, so I could hang out with you ❤️

It makes Wonwoo smile, knowing that he wasn't the only one to be pouring over his work to see Jun.

>> meet outside the dorms at 12??

<<👍

Wonwoo places his phone back on his desk, unable to stop smiling.

When Saturday afternoon rolls around, Wonwok tries not to overthink his clothes. He pulls on what feels comfy, and what Mingyu has once commented looked cool on him. He gets to the ground floor and spots the orange tabby cat through the glass door before seeing Jun. It's blue eyes stare at Wonwoo for three long seconds before it jumps back into the bushes.

Wonwoo exits the dorm building, tugging his hoodie, but sends Junhui a welcoming smile.

"Hi," Wonwoo mutters.

Junhui greets him in return. "So, where's this ramen shop?"

"Umm...we'll, I've never been. I just see it all the time on my way to work."

"I hope it's good then. I love food! I've taken trying to mark every Chinese restaurant around here."

"Any good places?"

"Just one. I'll take you some time."

"That sounds good." 

Usually, Wonwoo doesn't like making future plans with someone when they haven't even finished their first outing, but Jun's easy and non-commital suggestion puts Wonwoo at ease.

"But you still haven't even brought me coffee," Wonwoo jokes.

Junhui giggles, "Oh, right! Well, since my shifts got moved to Monday, I can bring you a cup after work? You said you're in the liberal arts building for your history class after six, right?"

"Yeah, that's when my class ends."

"So what are you studying? I don't think I asked what your major is."

"I'm double majoring actually. Religious studies and comparative literature."

"Oh. Ewww, that sounds like a lot of reading."

Wonwoo shrugs, "A bit, but I like learning about the historical and sociopolitical aspects of religion. And I love books. It's been a hobby of mine in high school when I was part of the book club, so I thought I would pursue it more. What about you? What's your major?"

Junhui chuckles, "Oh. I'm undecided."

"You came to Korea to be undecided."

Junhui laughs loudly at that, "You sound like my mom. But yeah. I don't know. When I was in high school and looking at my options, this school just spoke to me for some reason. I felt like there was this voice in my head telling me it was the right thing to come here."

"Well, I'm glad you did."

Jun blushes for a moment but quickly recovers, "Me too. I would have applied sooner if they told me there were cute nerdy boys on campus."

Wonwoo's cheeks flame, and when Junhui sees his reaction, he cackles loudly and leans into him. "So easily flustered, you're going to have to get used to me!"

Wonwoo immediately realizes that Junhui is teasing, so he teases right back. "Are you saying this is what I'm putting up with?"

"Absolutely."

This time Wonwoo laughs. 

They arrive at the ramen place about seven minutes later. They grab a table, put in their order, and stare across from each other on the small rickety table.

"So," Jun starts. "Are you visiting your brother tomorrow too?"

"Yeah."

"It must be nice to be close to a sibling."

"You don't have any?"

Jun shakes his head. 

"Well," Wonwoo takes the straw of his cup and fiddles with it between his fingers. "I don't really either. Mingyu's my adoptive brother. We usually just call each other brothers or friends to strangers to avoid confusion. We look nothing alike."

"So, your parents adopted him?"

"No, my grandpa did. My parents died in a car accident when I was barely one year old. My grandpa ended up raising me. Mingyu was our next-door neighbor for many years, and my grandpa always took care of him while Mingyu's own parents went to work. They were really busy people, I don't remember what they did for a living, but sometimes, they would leave Mingyu with my grandpa for weeks at a time. I didn't mind since Mingyu is just a year younger than me, so we played a lot. But when we were about six, Mingyu's parents passed away too, and he didn't have any grandparents, so my grandpa petitioned to be his guardian since he took care of the kid already."

"I'm sorry about your parents."

"It's fine. I don't remember mine, and Mingyu sometimes tells me he only has vague memories of his own parents. But we're good. I just visit him to check up on him, and then I help my grandpa with anything around the house."

"That's really nice of you."

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah? What was it like growing up for you in China? I feel like I'm doing most of the talking. I never talk this much."

"Maybe I like hearing your voice."

Wonwoo replies with a gentle kick to Jun's shin.

"Eh, my life isn't that interesting other than my mom calling me her miracle child. Her and my dad tried for years to get pregnant, and then she said one night there was a terrible lightning storm. It hit the ground just a few feet away from my parent's house, and then she said she was pregnant the next day, but that's as exciting as my life gets, and I wasn't even born. My hometown was kind of fun, and I miss a few of my friends, but things just feel right since I came here. It feels like I'm completing something, you know? I'm just happy to be on my own."

"Aren't you a little nervous being here by yourself?"

"A little bit. Sometimes it's hard, but I'm learning a lot just by being here."

Both of them turn away from each other as the server comes and hands them their ramen bowls. Wonwoo smiles as Jun reaches for the spice rack beside them. Jun had already ordered the spiciest broth.

"I know. I know. You are probably wondering why I'm putting more chile. I have a system, no worries."

"I think I'm just worried you're gonna puncture your stomach," Wonwoo replies.

"Didn't you know? Hot and spicy doesn't affect hot and spicy men. The two just cancel each other out," Jun playfully brushes his hair.

Wonwoo bursts laughing, "If it cancels out, doesn't that mean you're no longer hot?"

Jun exaggeratedly gasps. "Are you saying I'm not hot?"

Wonwoo chooses not to answer. He breaks open his chopsticks and stares smugly at Jun. He begins to slurp his noodles to avoid answering the question. 

Their lunch goes surprisingly well. Wonwoo focuses on what Jun has to say and his mannerisms. He finds it adorable that when Jun gets excited about something, he gets very animated and starts talking fast. When he gets _really_ excited, his entire body hunches in like a turtle as if he's trying to bottle it all up. 

Overall, Wonwoo is pleased to have made an effort to ask Jun out. 

He can't deny he already has a big fat crush on the guy, but he's not going to overthink this. He's going to enjoy this for what it is.

When they finish their meals, Wonwoo pays, and Jun gets flustered about it. It's a nice pace considering how many puny-flirty remarks Jun kept throwing at him. And really, Wonwoo is impressed by them more than annoyed. Jun is exceptionally quick-witted in a language that's not even his. He wonders how deep Jun's cleverness goes. 

They walk back to the dorms and stop in front of Wonwoo's building to say goodbye. 

Wonwoo hears a rustle from the bushes and smiles as he sees the familiar tabby cat. It winds around Wonwoo's legs twice before trying to crawl up Jun's again.

Jun picks up the cat quickly and cradles it in his arms. 

"I used to have a cat like this back in China."

Wonwoo steps closer to Jun to pet behind the cat's ears. The cat vibrates in Jun's arms and stares unblinkingly up at Jun. 

"Yeah?"

"Yup. It was never officially mine. It was a street cat, but I remember it always being there. This little guy even has the same eyes as him."

"Maybe he followed you from China?" 

Jun laughs. "Maybe."

He sets the cat down. "I had fun today. We should do this again. I'll take you to a Chinese restaurant."

"Sounds good."

"Same time next week?"

Wonwoo nods and fondly watches Jun walk down the path to his own building. 

  
  


Wonwoo has seen Jun a total of twelve times in these past five weeks—not that he's keeping count or anything. Often, Jun waits for him with a coffee or tea and walks him to the dorms on Monday. They always part ways because Jun has to grab his stuff for his night class, but it's nice that Jun takes time out of his day for him. Sometimes, Wonwoo brings Jun ice cream on Thursdays after Jun's math class. And on Saturdays, Saturdays are for them. They spend the afternoon exploring restaurants together and then return to the dorms reluctant to part ways. 

One day, Wonwoo gets some courage and invites Jun up to his dorm. Wonwoo's roommate is always gone during the weekend anyway, so he's not embarrassed to bring a boy up to his room. They spend the night playing video games together until four in the morning. When Wonwoo wakes up, Jun is knocked out on the floor beside his bed, and he realizes that he's missed his train to Changwon.

He knows there's another train in about three hours, but as he blearily stares at Jun hidden underneath a cocoon of blankets, Wonwoo doesn't really want to go. He reaches for his phone and messages Mingyu that he's not heading over for today. 

Mingyu replies with several pouty emojis and pictures, but he doesn't outright sound upset. So Wonwoo drops his phone on the floor where it's charging and goes back to sleep.

When he wakes up again, Wonwoo sucks in a surprised breath. Jun has climbed into his bed. One arm is wrapped around his waist, and a leg is thrown over him. Jun has his eyes closed and is breathing soundly.

Wonwoo pulls a limb out from underneath the covers. Warmth tugs inside him. He draws his pinky from Jun's forehead to the tip of Jun's nose. Jun doesn't even wriggle. 

"I know you're awake," Wonwoo speaks, his voice still hoarse from sleep. He had seen Jun fall asleep right before he had and realized that Jun slept with his eyes open. It was slightly alarming but strangely endearing, and Wonwoo knows he's too far gone if he's thinking stuff like this. 

He gently glides his pinky up and down Jun's forehead a few more times until Jun opens his eyes.

"You don't know that," Jun replies sleepily.

"I saw you sleep with your eyes open."

Jun giggles. He buries himself in Wonwoo's chest, clinging even tighter. Wonwoo surges with affection, and he brings an arm around Jun's back.

"It's cute, you know. In a freaky sort of way."

"Only you, Jeon Wonwoo."

It's a few days before they have to return to university, and Wonwoo is sitting in his room back in Changwon. His laptop is perched on his lap, and he's currently clicking through the order page for his classes for next semester. Jun is minimized on his computer screen, but Wonwoo can hear his voice.

"Try to get the eleven am class!" Wonwoo tells him.

Jun makes an incomprehensible screaming noise. 

"Did you not put the class in your cart?"

"I did! But it's the wrong class code!" Jun screams again. 

"Hurry up, we're going to miss our time slot!"

Both of them were doing their very best to match-up their schedules for the spring semester. They are hoping to hang out more than one day out of the week and random strolls to and from the dorms. If everything worked out with this, they would be able to see each other three times a week, even with their working schedules. 

Wonwoo keeps an eye on the clock in the corner of his screen. Once it's ten am, Wonwoo refreshes his screen and then checks out his new classes. 

"Did you get yours?" Wonwoo asks. 

"Yes!" Jun cheers. 

Wonwoo saves a receipt of his classes and then goes to the video screen on his laptop.

"Were you able to move your work schedule too?" Wonwoo asks, hopefully.

Jun nods excitedly. "Yeah? And you."

"Yup. My Tuesday shift is a double shift, though."

"That's okay! We can study together on Thursday to make up for it."

"You'll distract me."

"I do no such thing! You know I sit quietly in the corner."

"Too quietly. That's why it's distracting. And then you like to cling to me when you're done working."

Jun sticks his tongue out from the computer screen. There's a soft lull in the conversation, and Wonwoo awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. "Hey...so I was thinking...for next year...what if we get an apartment together?"

Jun's eyes open in surprise, and Wonwoo finds himself rambling. "It will be cheaper than the dorms. And we can have our own kitchen, so we don't always have to eat those cheap instant noodle packets. And the extra space would also be nice. There's a lot of apartments near the university. Did I say it would be cheaper?"

Jun pouts and then asks, "You would want to move in with me?"

"Yeah, that's why I asked...unless you don't want to…"

"I definitely want to! We can start looking for places a month before school ends! We are still meeting up later tonight, right?"

"Yup. So I'll see you at five?"

Jun smiles and agrees. They end the call shortly after that. When Wonwoo hangs up, he hears Mingyu giggle beside him.

They share a room together and when Wonwoo looks to his left. Mingyu is jumping into his bed and squeezing beside him. He immediately begins to tickle Wonwoo. 

"Wonwoo has a boyfriend~."

Wonwoo tries to pry his fingers away, but he's largely unsuccessful. "Stop it!"

"Oh my god! You aren't denying it!"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Yet."

Wonwoo rolls his eyes. "We're just really good friends."

"Who you have a crush on."

"I don't—"At the stare Mingyu gives him, Wonwoo sighs in defeat. Mingyu stops tickling him, and they end up squashed uncomfortably together on the twin bed. 

"You should ask him out," Mingyu says as if it's that simple.

"What if he doesn't like me?"

"He agreed to move in with you."

"As friends."

"Well, from the little you've told me about him, it sounds like he's done a lot for you to the point that I think he likes you."

"You think so?"

"I haven't met the guy, but just listening to you talk, I'm pretty sure. So go on, make a move on him tonight."

"Make a move? Ugh, that sounds so juvenile."

Mingyu shoves him, but Wonwoo's pressed against the wall, so he has nowhere to go. 

"C'mon. You can borrow some of my clothes for your date tonight!" Mingyu launches out of bed and starts pulling at clothes from his closet.

Wonwoo wants to deny it's not a date, but the fluttering in his stomach tells him to accept it. 

Later that night, Wonwoo boards the subway and a bus to meet up with Jun. Jun had been in China for most of the holidays and had only returned two days ago, where he was staying at a hotel until school resumed again in three days. 

They end up eating in a hidden restaurant, then an arcade, then a karaoke room. It's embarrassing to be singing at the top of his lungs, and truthfully, he was feeling reluctant to even try, but with Jun—he's willing to try anything. 

It's incredibly late at night when they finish up in the karaoke room. They walk side-by-side, talking about their holiday break as their hands continuously bump into one another.

Wonwoo spots the hotel that Jun is staying at. He's sad at the thought of parting for the night. He stops walking under a busted street lamp. Jun stops with him, curiosity in his eyes. 

He struggles with what to say. He's thinking of Mingyu's words of just going for it. Perhaps, five months ago, Wonwoo wouldn't even have considered this, but there's just something about Jun that spurs something inside him. Whatever anxious momentum that used to swirl inside him, no longer simmer under his skin. He has no idea what Jun has done to him. And if he comes to think of it, Jun hasn't done anything except offer his hand in friendship.

So, Wonwoo licks his lips and meets Jun's eyes. His face is so captivating and frank that Wonwoo halts for a moment and looks away. He spots an orange tabby cat on the opposite street that seems eerily similar to the one back at their university. Wonwoo catches its eyes. 

The cat is sitting alone underneath a street lamp. A halo of light circles around the feline. It stares straight back at him, forcing Wonwoo to lock on the depth of its blue eyes. Under the light, they look to be glowing an iridescent blue—almost painfully white.

Wonwoo looks away when he feels his eyes burn. 

Jun is still looking at him questioningly, but this time, worry creases the line of his forehead. Wonwoo sighs and turns back to the cat, but it's no longer there.

Wonwoo resigns himself and steps forward. 

"Wonwoo?" Jun asks, voice soft.

"Jun—I—what are we?"

Jun's eyes are quick and bright, but he swiftly turns them down to the ground, holding them there as if lost in some inward maze of contemplation or thought. 

When Jun does not reply, Wonwoo picks up his scattered courage, "I would like to be more...than friends."

Jun's eyes turn back to him. "You would?"

"...if you feel the same way, yes?"

Jun holds his gaze and steps forward. Their shoes bump against each other. Wonwoo can hear his heartbeat inside his eardrums, and he finds his throat suddenly dry. 

In the darkness, Jun cups his face and kisses him. 

Jun and Wonwoo are sitting together on the train to Changwon. They are sitting side-by-side, and Wonwoo desperately wants to hold Jun's hand, but they're in public, and Wonwoo isn't daring enough for that. 

It's spring break, and Wonwoo had asked Jun if he wanted to come over for the holidays. Jun had replied by jumping into his arms, which didn't bode well for either of them.

So, here they are. 

Wonwoo is slightly nervous. He's not worried about his grandfather's reaction. His grandpa is extremely liberal compared to others his age, and he has known for years that he likes both men and women. Wonwoo is terrified of Jun meeting Mingyu. Mingyu, who doesn't have a filter and has a bunch of embarrassing stories about him. 

He just hopes Mingyu behaves.

They exit off the train and take a short cab to Wonwoo's home. When they enter, Wonwoo's grandpa is waiting for them. Jun greets him and Mingyu, who peeks out from the kitchen.

The four of them have dinner, and just as expected, Mingyu racks up as many embarrassing stories as he can. Wonwoo spends most of the dinner, shooting furtive looks, but it doesn't deter him in the slightest.

Jun is eating everything up and giggling loudly.

The three young men retire to the room late at night. Wonwoo's bed is even tinier than the one in the dorms, so he offers Jun the bed and Wonwoo can sleep on the floor. As he's setting the futon on the ground, he catches Jun in the corner of the room, staring up at the ceiling.

Mingyu walks through the doorway, freshly changed, and passes a glance at Jun. "Your boyfriend is weird," He mouths.

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, but this is uncharacteristic—even for Jun. "Junnie, what are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh. There's something weird in the corner of the wall."

Wonwoo drops the pillow on the ground and walks up to Jun. He stares up at the corner and notices a series of points and triangles carved into the wall. It's tiny, barely the size of a thumbprint. Wonwoo has never seen it before. Mingyu stands behind them to look at the carving and shrugs.

"Oh, that's been there for years. You've never noticed?" Mingyu asks Wonwoo, turning back to his bed.

"No, never."

"That's 'cause you never wear your glasses inside the house. It's been there since I moved in with you. I thought you put it there."

"Nope. It's probably from the previous owners."

Wonwoo walks away from the carving, and so does Jun. They all settle into bed and forget entirely about the strange marking on the wall.

The next day the three of them go to the movies. Wonwoo happily munches on his popcorn, thrilled by how Jun and Mingyu get along. However, as the film goes on, Wonwoo notices Jun starting to scrunch his face. Jun presses his knuckle to his forehead and rubs before turning back to the screen.

"You okay?" Wonwoo whispers.

Jun nods happily.

Wonwoo returns to the screen. 

Wonwoo tries to avoid hitting the orange tabby cat on his way inside the duplex. He's pretty sure it's the same cat from the university, and it probably followed them here because both he and Jun were guilty of feeding it. 

Currently, he's bringing his bed frame with Mingyu's help, and both of them are trying to hold in their groans from the weight. Jun bypasses them carrying a box, and he takes it into the kitchen to set up the essentials like their microwave and toaster oven. 

It's finally fall again. It's Wonwoo's and Jun's second year in university, and Mingyu, who had been accepted into the same university as them, decided to move in with them. Wonwoo and Jun definitely do not mind. It means less rent on their end, which could open up more spending money for some fun. 

Wonwoo drops the bed frame into his and Jun's shared room and groans. He thinks he might have pulled something. He needs to start heading to the gym because this is ridiculous.

Suddenly, he hears something clang from the kitchen. Wonwoo and Mingyu lock eyes before sprinting into the kitchen.

"Junnie?" Wonwoo calls. 

He steps into the kitchen and sees Jun's eyes blink rapidly for a second, and then his eyes roll into the back of his head. Jun collapses onto the floor. Wonwoo gasps and rushes to Jun to check on him.

"Junnie? Jun." He tries to shake him awake, but Jun isn't responding.

He looks up to Mingyu for some help, but Mingyu is already on the phone dialing for an ambulance. 

The three of them end up at the hospital.

After a few checks from the doctor's Jun is completely fine. Jun is sitting happily on the medical bed, listening to the doctor explain to him to take it easy for a few days. 

"But—" Wonwoo interrupts the doctor. "Why did he pass out?"

The doctor's had run several tests, but nothing appeared to be wrong with Jun. The doctor sighs, "Well, there are electrical impulses in our brain, and sometimes there's just an error."

"Is that normal?" Wonwoo asks. 

The doctor hums, "I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it happens again, definitely bring him again."

The doctor has Jun fill out the paperwork to be checked out of the hospital, and soon, the three are in a cab, heading back to their duplex.

"You sure you're okay?" Wonwoo can't help but ask for the hundredth time that day.

Jun smiles brightly. "Of course, I am!"

Wonwoo is sitting naked in Jun's lap. His arms are across his boyfriend's shoulder, sighing as Jun's hands dig into his hips, and Jun presses his mouth all along his jaw and neck. He finds Jun's lips and aligns them perfectly, kissing and rolling his hips lazily. 

Jun's kisses, though, start to become slower and uncoordinated. Wonwoo pulls back in confusion and looks down at Jun.

Jun's eyes glaze over, and he has this distant look across his eyes.

"Junnie?"

His boyfriend snaps out of it. "Hmmm?"

"You okay?"

Jun nods and then pins him to bed. Wonwoo forgets about it for the time being. 

Usually, Wonwoo and Jun don't invite Mingyu out to their foodie adventures. But Mingyu had been pouting all week after that one boy he had been chasing after denied his offer. So the two of them take pity and decide to treat Mingyu. 

All three of them are sitting in a pizza parlor. The food is deliciously greasy, so they are downing it with ridiculous amounts of coke. Wonwoo is listening to Mingyu lament about how he was brutally turned down when he spots Jun holding his drink midlevel. 

He has that weird glazed look over his eyes that has been appearing more frequently. Each time Wonwoo asks, Jun starts to laugh and tells him everything is completely fine. There is nothing to worry about, he's just stuck in his head.

But it doesn't feel that way at all. 

Wonwoo is watching the orange tabby cat from the kitchen window. It's pacing back and forth in front of the street. He's almost tempted to grab the cat and bring him inside, but he's distracted when he hears the stutter of footsteps. He spins around and sees Jun grip the wall. 

Wonwoo rushes to him and holds onto him. "Jun, what's wrong?" He asks.

Jun is clutching his head. His eyes flutter like he's about to pass out, but Wonwoo shakes him, and Jun snaps out of it.

Wonwoo shouts Mingyu's name. Mingyu comes into the kitchen, and when he sees both of them, he helps Wonwoo take Jun to sit on the couch. 

"Junnie?" Wonwoo questions. He kneels in front of his boyfriend, rubbing his thighs. 

Jun has his head hung down to his chest with his hair covering most of his eyes. "Jun?" Wonwoo tries again.

"We should take him to the hospital," Mingyu says. "The doctor said to take him if it happens again."

Jun shakes his head. "I'm fine. We don't need to go."

Wonwoo struggles not to chastise him, "You're not fine. You almost passed out again. And for the past three months, you get this weird look across your eyes, and you zone out for periods at a time." 

"I've always done that."

"No, you haven't. C'mon. Let's go to the hospital. Can you walk? We can get a cab."

Jun shakes his head again, and he uncharacteristically raises his voice. "I'm fine!" He looks up and catches Wonwoo's stare. "I'm fine," He repeats. "I've just—" 

Wonwoo sits beside him, and Mingyu does as well. "You just what?" Wonwoo follows. Jun tucks his hands underneath his leg and bites his lip. Wonwoo knows that Jun is stubborn. Sometimes he finds it endearing, but right now when it concerns Jun's health. Wonwoo is frustrated. "Jun, please. I'm worried. What's wrong?"

"You're going to think I'm crazy."

"I promise—we promise we won't."

Jun turns to both of them, and after an extended silent minute, Jun finally states, "I'm hearing voices—see, I knew you would!" Jun stands up at Wonwoo's widening eyes. 

"Junnie," Wonwoo reaches for him and tugs him into his lap. "What kind of voices?"

"It's not like they're telling me to do anything or kill myself, I swear! They're just saying things like…. I'm overhearing someone's conversation."

"What are they saying?" Mingyu asks beside them. He scooches closer, so the three of them are all huddled together. 

Jun nervously fiddles with his hands on his lap, but he does answer, "They repeat themselves a lot. I've memorized some of it. They say like he's found the Great Vessels. It's too soon. We can't intervene yet. The Righteous Man still needs to fulfill his destiny. The hunters aren't in position yet. Be patient. They're always telling each other to be patient."

Outside, Wonwoo hears a cat's meow.

After making sure that Jun wasn't going to pass out, Wonwoo lets Jun rest in bed. His boyfriend is sleeping soundly while he and Mingyu are sitting nervously in the living room. What Jun had said…was more than worrisome. It's not that Wonwoo thinks he's crazy, no. Far from that, he's worried that Jun had something terrible. Like a brain tumor. Oh god, what if it's a brain tumor? 

When both of them had pushed Jun for more answers, all he had said was that the voices had started earlier this year, and that's all he was willing to say. Wonwoo knew it was more than that. Jun was going through acetaminophen pills, always saying that he had a headache, and it wasn't anything to worry about. 

But god, Wonwoo is so terribly terrified. 

Mingyu's voice breaks through Wonwoo's anxiety, "Maybe...and don't get mad. But maybe, there's a possibility that he could be schizophrenic."

Wonwoo shoots him a glare, but Mingyu holds firm. "Wonwoo. He hears voices," Mingyu replies. "That's not normal. And what he told us he hears that's…"

"I know." Wonwoo sinks into the couch beside Mingyu. 

"We need to take him to the doctor's again, at least for a psych evaluation."

Wonwoo doesn't want to agree, but it definitely is the right choice. 

After their second visit to the hospital, the doctor's give Jun the same news. Absolutely nothing is wrong with him. They ran several brain scans, and nothing appeared on their end. His brain is entirely healthy. When they had received this news, Mingyu suggested their next course of action was a psych exam, but Jun adamantly refused. He said he was getting better.

He isn't. 

For months, Wonwoo and Jun pretended that nothing is happening to him. But god, it's getting harder to ignore. Jun dozes off for more extended periods. The longest Wonwoo had seen Jun appear to be in a faraway conversation was thirteen minutes. 

Wonwoo wants to bring it up, but Jun closes up. 

One day, Wonwoo arrives from work. The orange tabby cat is sitting outside their door. Wonwoo bends down to pet the cat before entering his duplex. 

He sees Mingyu in the living room, looking absolutely frazzled because of midterms, and he can hear Jun cooking in the kitchen. Wonwoo kicks off his shoes and drops his backpack at the door. He enters the kitchen and immediately wraps his arms around Jun, clinging to him from behind.

"How long has he been studying?" Wonwoo asks, kissing the nape of Jun's neck.

"About two hours now. I made him take a break thirty minutes ago and gave him some snacks."

Wonwoo kisses his neck again, "That's my Junnie." 

Jun giggles into the kiss and then turns around to thoroughly kiss him on the mouth. Wonwoo has enough mind to lower the heat on the sizzling pan behind Jun and greet his boyfriend. As he kisses him, Wonwoo tries his best to absorb whatever pain Jun is going through. If he could, he would take all of it. He doesn't like to see Jun like this.

Jun breaks from the kiss to return to cooking, and Wonwoo kisses him one more time on the cheek before heading back to the living room to check on Mingyu. 

However, not a second later, as soon he steps out of the kitchen, he hears the clatter of pans. Wonwoo immediately turns back into the kitchen and sees the meat that Jun was cooking all over the floor.

This time Jun is crying.

Mingyu rushes in a few seconds later.

"I got it," Wonwoo says, already helping Jun clean up the mess.

Mingyu seems reluctant to leave, but he heads back into the living room. 

Jun is openly sobbing now, hiccuping and snot running down his nose. Wonwoo's never seen Jun like this. He gathers the meat and throws all of it into the garbage bin. There's a giant stain of oil on the ground, but right now, Wonwoo can't be bothered to care.

He sits on the ground beside Jun and pulls him into his lap. He wraps his arms as tightly as he can around Jun's back, trying to rock him back and forth.

Jun won't let up. He sobs into Wonwoo's neck, trying to clean off his meat-stained hands onto his apron. "I'm so scared, Wonwoo," Jun finally mutters.

And Wonwoo's heart shatters. 

Wonwoo and Mingyu are finishing shopping and already walking out of the store when he receives a text from Jun. 

<<can you get me ice cream, please?

Wonwoo sighs. 

"What?" Mingyu asks.

"Junnie wants ice cream."

Mingyu and Wonwoo both want to protest and tell Jun they already finished shopping, but lately, this past week, both of them have been coddling Jun. They both know how scared Jun is. It seems like any minute Jun is just going to lose it, so both of them had been doing their best to follow each of Jun's whims just to make him smile. 

They return inside the market and go into the ice cream aisle. Wonwoo grabs Jun's favorite flavor and then goes to pay. 

Thirty minutes later, they are exiting the cab and going to the doorstep of their duplex. Immediately, Wonwoo feels his blood run cold for some reason he can't explain. 

The orange tabby cat that always loiters around their duplex is desperately meowing and clawing at the door. Something is wrong. Wonwoo just knows it. 

He drops the groceries on the floor and runs to the door.

"Hyung!" Mingyu shouts, trying to pick up the food that had fallen from the bag.

But Wonwoo is not listening. He's pulling out his keys with shaky hands and opening the door. 

"Jun?" Wonwoo shouts as soon as he's inside. The cat dashes inside and disappears somewhere in the house.

There's no reply. 

There's the strange smell of eggs in the air, and Wonwoo goes into the kitchen first to check on Jun. Except he's not there. There's not even anything on the stove. Where is the smell coming from?

He hears Mingyu enter the duplex and shutting the door, grumbling about being left with all the groceries. 

"Jun?" Wonwoo tries again. He goes into their room to check on him. 

And there Wonwoo freezes at the doorway. 

Jun is stuck and pinned to the ceiling. Jun's face is white and disfigured from silent tears. His mouth is parted like he's trying to scream, but there's no sound coming out. 

Wonwoo takes a tentative step forward. "J-jun?" Wonwoo stammers his name. 

Jun locks eyes with him, and he can see Jun minutely shake his head. 

"Hyung, what's going—" Mingyu's voice suddenly stops behind him as he takes the sight of Jun pinned to the ceiling.

A heartbeat later, sudden heat fills the room. Flames engulf his body, and within another second, they are covering the entire ceiling. 

This time Wonwoo can hear Jun perfectly. His scream is filled with pure terror. Wonwoo gathers his senses and rushes forward, trying to pull Jun from the ceiling. But it's no use, he can't reach, and the flames are starting to burn his fingers. Suddenly, Jun's scream stops, and then silence, and Wonwoo realizes the silence is so much worse.

Wonwoo can't think. There is so much emotion running through him right now, and the thought that he can't get to Jun makes him yell in frustration.

The desk lamp by the bed suddenly explodes, sending shards everywhere.

"Wonwoo!" Mingyu shouts beside him. "We need to go! It's too much."

Wonwoo doesn't want to leave, but the flames are coming down the ceiling, onto the walls, and to the floor. Mingyu pulls him, and they stumble outside of the duplex into a coughing fit. Wonwoo feels desperation claw at him from all sides. 

He wants to shout, "somebody, do something!" as he sees fire engulf the duplex. He desperately wants to hear Jun's voice again, telling him that he was well enough to cry for help.

But there's nothing. 

For a moment, he tries to rush back inside, but Mingyu grabs hold of him and wrestles him to the ground.

"You can't go in there!" Mingyu shouts.

"But, Junnie!" Wonwoo cries. "No! We have to go in there!" 

Mingyu maneuvers him into his lap and keeps him there by sheer force as they wait for help to come. 

Wonwoo crumbles within himself, right there on the bench of the police station. His strength is spent, and the screams stay within him. The tears aren't coming. They're crusted and clotted inside him, causing him worse pain than if he had tried to force them out.

He brings his hands to his head, feeling like his head is going to explode from grief. Bent over, he struggles to find some measure of control for the raging emotions in the bustling loud room. 

The fire department had arrived at their duplex minutes after it was engulfed in fire. It had taken them nearly half an hour to put it all out. When they had, the ambulance came to retrieve Jun's body. Wonwoo isn't quite sure what he did next. All he knows is that he had been screaming Jun's name and fighting back the crippling despair that was beating against him in waves. He had collapsed onto Jun's charred body, holding him tight as he wailed against his black shoulder. 

Someone had pulled him off Jun as Wonwoo continued to scream. He's not dead. He's NOT DEAD. Why were they pulling him away from Jun? Why couldn't they just leave them alone? Why were they taking Jun away? 

Wonwoo whimpers softly on the bench. This isn't happening. This is a nightmare. He's going to wake up, and Jun is going to be there. Alive. Smiling. He's not dead. HE'S NOT DEAD. 

He doesn't know how long it takes to compose himself, and he isn't even sure he's speaking to the police anymore.

The police pull them into a room and are asking them questions. Wonwoo registers his mouth moving, but he doesn't know what's coming out. He hears Mingyu's voice next to him, but he can't focus. 

The police leave, and Wonwoo collapses against the cold metal table. Mingyu rubs his back. He wishes he could feel it. 

A few minutes later, the door opens again. 

Wonwoo looks up and sees a young man about his age, dressed in a suit. He has black hair and some stubble at his chin. His eyes are sunken from lack of sleep, and some of the oil on his face makes it seem like he hasn't showered in ages. He definitely doesn't look like a police officer.

"Hi, I'm Detective Lee," The man says, he flashes them a badge and quickly stores it into the pocket of his suit. "I need to ask you a few questions.

Mingyu speaks for them. "Someone already asked. Go get the police report from them."

The detective forces a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, protocol."

Wonwoo slumps into a seated position. "What do you want to know?" He manages.

The detective nods. "Was there anything unusual about the victim's death?" 

"Other than his body stuck to the ceiling!" Wonwoo snaps, ready to break again.

"Yeah, anything else that can help? Did you notice flickering lights, cold spots, strange smells?"

"What?" Mingyu retorts rudely. "What are you on about?"

"Again, this is standard procedure," The detective says.

Wonwoo meets the detective's eyes. "What do you mean by strange smells?"

"Anything off-putting like...sulfur?"

Wonwoo stops breathing for a moment, "Yeah, there was the smell of eggs. How did you know?"

The detective ignores his question. "Anything else?"

Wonwoo wants to ask the detective questions of his own, but Mingyu beats him to it. "Anything else, you can read from the statement we just gave. Seriously."

The detective huffs out through his nose. He pulls out a card from his pocket and hands it to Wonwoo. "If there is anything else you remember, please give me a call."

The detective leaves the room, and Wonwoo looks down at the business card with only a number scratched in front. 

Wonwoo and Mingyu end up taking a leave of absence from the university and return home. Neither of them has spoken much since the fire, and Wonwoo doesn't have the effort to eat, let alone talk. He stares out the window of the train, watching the black sky pass on by. 

They get home past midnight, lugging in two backpacks, the few things they were able to salvage from the fire. However, as they stand at their street and in front of their home, both Wonwoo and Mingyu find their breaths stolen from their throats.

Their home—

It's burned down. All of it.

Police caution tape surrounds their home. Wonwoo stands there in disbelief. What is happening? He steps forward, and Mingyu follows him. 

The street is abandoned. 

Wonwoo doesn't even know when this happened. How? Why?

He's ready to collapse to his knees, but he hears the crunching of boots against charred pieces of wood. His head snaps to the side, and he spots a man sneaking beneath the caution tape and heading toward an alley on the right side of their home.

Wonwoo reacts without thinking. Blinding fury controls him. He chases the man down with Mingyu calling his name.

He grabs the man by the back of the collar of his coat and throws him against the wall. His eyes open in shock when he realizes it was the strange detective from the police station a few days ago. "Who the fuck are you?" Wonwoo shouts. He presses his arm into the man's neck.

The detective grips his arm and twists.

Wonwoo shouts in pain, and before he can react, he's pinned against the wall with a knife under his chin.

Mingyu shouts something incomprehensible beside him.

"Don't call for help," The detective says evenly.

Wonwoo is panting furiously. "Who are you?"

The detective ignores his question and looks over at Mingyu. "Is this your home?" He asks instead.

"What does that—"

"Is this your home?!" The detective screams. 

Wonwoo nods.

The detective pockets his knife and steps away from him and then curses. He kicks at the floor and paces back and forth.

Mingyu and Wonwoo steal a glance at each other before looking at the detective again. 

"Okay," The detective breathes. "Something is targeting you. We need to get you to safety."

"What?" Mingyu shouts.

The detective approaches close to both of them. "Listen to me right now. Both of your homes just burned down. Something is after you. If any of you has any sense, you'll get in my car, and I'll explain what happened to your friend."

 _Answers._ Wonwoo steps off from the wall and nods, "Okay."

"What?" Mingyu exclaims again.

"Listen to him, Mingyu. He obviously knows something we don't. Unless you can explain why our childhood home is suddenly gone."

Wonwoo follows after the detective down the alley. He can hear Mingyu cursing behind him, but after a few seconds, Mingyu is chasing after him.

The three of them end up at an old beat-up black 1983 Toyota Celica Supra. The detective gets into his car, and both Wonwoo and Mingyu follow suit.

"My name is Choi Seungcheol," The man says immediately as he starts his car. "I'm not Detective Lee. That's just a cover. I'm a hunter. I hunt ghosts, ghouls, monsters, demons you name it. All those things that you've read about and seen in scary movies are real. I was tracking something weird here. I got a friend in Taebaek. Smart kid, a little weird, but he was tracking electrical currents, and they were gathering back at your duplex. I was hoping I could get here before it showed up."

"You can't be serious?" Wonwoo exclaims.

"Then, you explain how your friend was stuck to the ceiling, and a random fire engulfed the entire place."

Mingyu and Wonwoo are stunned into silence for several long minutes. Until finally, "Something killed Jun?" Wonwoo asks.

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"What was it?"

"I don't know. I surveyed the place and here too, but everything is burned, so it's hard to gather any evidence."

"So, where are we going? Mingyu asks from the backseat. 

"To a motel nearby. We're going to put protections on you both, and then a friend from Seoul is coming down to help."

Wonwoo sits quietly for the rest of the ride. Something killed Jun...

The motel is as gross and dirty on the inside as it looks from the outside—Wonwoo steps in after Seungcheol. Mingyu enters last and looks scared out of his wits when Seungcheol tells him to shut and lock the door.

Mingyu shuffles over to him and whispers, "How can we trust him?"

"You do if you want to live," Seungcheol says, overhearing their conversation. Seungcheol goes to sit on one of the beds.

Wonwoo takes the rickety chair, and Mingyu chooses to stand.

"So, hunter?" Wonwoo asks.

Seungcheol nods. "Most people don't take it this well."

"People don't just die like he did."

Seungcheol is about to say something else, but then his phone rings. He answers it with a groan, "Look, it's not that hard. You've taken longer trips for me…..What?....No, I don't have any beer here…..No, I'm not going to buy some. I'm here….oh my god….Yes, for the last time. I already told you I was paying for your trip…. What? No...take the bus off the train. Don't take a cab. I don't have that kind of money…. okay, fine. Do what you want...yes, I'm sorry. You are right….you are doing me a favor, and I am extremely grateful you are coming down here on such short notice... Okay, I'll see you soon...seriously, thank you."

Seungcheol hangs up and then looks at Mingyu and Wonwoo. "Sorry about that."

"Is your friend another hunter?" Wonwoo asks.

"Nah. I mean, sometimes I team up with him on hunts as a last resort when Vernon really can't. But, no. I try not to take him hunting with me. He's a good resource. He's a...psychic."

"A psychic?" Mingyu asks with disbelief.

"Yeah. He's the best one I've ever come across, so he'll be able to pin down what killed your friend."

Wonwoo studies Seungcheol and then blurts, "What have you hunted?"

Seungcheol gets bashful, "Uh...a lot. Um, a lot of ghosts, vampires, werewolves, djinn."

"How do you kill them?" Wonwoo interrupts.

"It depends on what you're hunting." Seungcheol stares at him and then stands. "Look, if I were to tell you a scope of my job, you wouldn't believe it. I know you have a lot of questions. Just right now, trust me. I'm going to head to the bathroom to wipe off all this soot. If you and your friend want to leave right now, go ahead. I won't stop you. But I'm the only one who is going to provide you answers."

Seungcheol leaves them alone in the room, and Wonwoo sags in his seat.

"Wonwoo," Mingyu murmurs. "This is crazy."

"I know, but what choice do we have? The police told us it was an electrical failure. You can't possibly believe that."

"No, but…do you think your grandpa is dead too?"

"I don't know."

An hour later, Wonwoo hears a knock on the door. Seungcheol opens it, and another man around their age enters with a frazzled look on his face.

"The bus is terrible, Cheol!" The man cries. "Why do I even listen to you. Here! I kept all the stubs. Do you know how expensive it is to book a train here, Cheol! This is two weeks' worth of sessions for me!"

"Thank you, Jeonghan," Seungcheol says with a smile.

"Hmmph, well, I want to finish this as quickly as possible. I have clients tomorrow."

Jeonghan opens up the door and then looks behind himself. He stares straight at the pair, "Well? C'mon. Mingyu and Wonwoo, I don't have all day." Jeonghan exits the room.

Mingyu and Wonwoo stand to attention, grabbing their stuff.

"Did you tell him about us?" Mingyu asks Seungcheol.

Seungcheol smiles, fishing out the keys of his pocket. "Nope."

The four of them are back in Seungcheol's car. Wonwoo is sitting in the backseat with Jeonghan, who is staring out the window with a faraway look in his eye. For a moment, it reminds him of Jun, and Wonwoo starts to think, maybe Jun was a psychic too. 

Jeonghan must be able to sense that he's watching him because the young man turns to him. He places a hand over his. "Oh Wonwoo, I'm sorry about your boyfriend," Jeonghan says with sincerity bleeding through.

Wonwoo pulls his hand away in shock. He catches Seungcheol glance at him from the rearview mirror. 

"He wasn't a psychic," Jeonghan says.

"How did you know I was—" 

"Because you were thinking about it."

"Are you a mind reader?"

Jeonghan shakes his head softly. "I truly am sorry about your loss and of your grandfather." 

Well, that answers that question. 

"So, how do your powers work?" Wonwoo asks him.

"Hmmm," Jeonghan hums. 

"Seungcheol said you are going to help us figure out what killed Jun."

"Well, um...I can sense the echoes...the fingerprints of spirits."

"Spirits? So a ghost killed Jun?"

Jeonghan shook his head, "I don't know. Could be. Lots of supernatural creatures are connected to the spirit world."

Wonwoo sits back against his seat at Jeonghan's reply. He just wants answers.

They return to Changwon in under an hour. Seungcheol parks his car in front of the duplex. Police caution tape surrounds the place, and Wonwoo watches the site. He and Mingyu hesitate to enter. 

"C'mon," Jeonghan tells them softly. "Whatever was here is gone. Nothing can hurt you."

The four of them step under the caution tape and enter the home. The whole place is barely hanging by a thread. Furniture is charred and black, the walls are sooty gray. Floorboards from the ceiling are loose. Everything is utterly destroyed.

Jeonghan steps into the living room and looks around for a moment and then confidently steps into Wonwoo and Jun's bedroom. The place where….

"There's dark energy here," Jeonghan immediately says. "It's the center of it."

"It's where Jun died," Wonwoo states.

Jeonghan nods. He walks around the room, opening the closet, looking under the bed, pushing against ash with his foot. 

He stops when he bumps into something. Jeonghan removes a fallen jacket and then stares at a dead cat on the floor. 

Mingyu taps his arm upon seeing it, and Wonwoo knows why. It's the same orange tabby cat that had been following him. Except it looks weird. Wonwoo expects the cat to be completely burned, but its fur is untouched. The only thing strange about it is that its eye sockets are entirely burned out.

What the hell?

Jeonghan leans down and hovers his hand over the cat. He stands, face wrinkled in confusion. "There was powerful energy inside this cat," Jeonghan informs them.

"What kind?" Wonwoo immediately questions.

Jeonghan shrugs. "I don't know. I've never sensed anything quite like it." Jeonghan walks around the room again and then sighs sadly. "I sense two—no three energies in this house. One of whatever was in the cat, two something that permeates and poisons throughout this entire room, and three something incredibly ancient."

"What's the ancient thing?" Seungcheol asks.

"I don't know."

Seungcheol looks dumbfounded. "You don't? But..."

Jeonghan shakes his head. "I only know great evil walked this house. It left wounds."

"What does that mean?" Wonwoo asks. 

"That it's going to get infected unless we do something about it. If not, it's going to become a magnet for paranormal energy."

Seungcheol sighs, "I'll go get the stuff. I'm going to need extra hands. Mingyu?"

Mingyu nods stupidly and walks out with Seungcheol back to the car.

Wonwoo stays and observes Jeonghan, who continues to walk around the room. 

"You really don't know?" Wonwoo asks him. 

Jeonghan stands in the center of the room. "Seungcheol calls me when he needs names. I can ask the spirits directly for theirs or read the signature of what they leave behind. Whatever was here, covered up its tracks. I only know it was a…"

"A what?"

"A demon."

Wonwoo's blood runs cold. He's willing to buy into whatever Seungcheol is telling him, but to hear point-blank that a demon, an actual demon, killed Jun... It's not. It doesn't feel real.

He manages to choke out, "And the other two things?"

"I really don't know. I've never encountered this sensation before, but they're not evil. The energy that was in the cat—it was something protective. And whatever ancient thing entered this room was just that. Ancient. Neither good nor bad."

Wonwoo sighs when Seungcheol and Mingyu return. 

They carry a bunch of glass jars and small brown leather bags the size of a coin purse.

"What is that?" Wonwoo asks as Seungcheol begins to lay the jars out and open them.

"My friend, Vernon, gave me some herbs. Angelica root, van van oil, crossroad dirt, a few other odds, and ends." 

"What's it all for?" Mingyu questions next.

"It can purify a place. We need to place these bags in the north, south, west, and east corners of every room. It should kill whatever is lurking around in a mile radius and close up whatever supernatural hole the demon opened," Seungcheol replies. 

The four of them work fast. By the time they are finished, an hour has passed, and Wonwoo and Mingyu are leaning against the hood of Seungcheol's car outside a subway station. 

Seungcheol is speaking with Jeonghan a few feet away from them. Wonwoo wants to know what they're saying. If it's about them? If it's about Jun? Everything about tonight just opens up so many questions that Wonwoo doesn't know how to process it. He's overwhelmed.

He watches Jeonghan dig in his pockets and pull out a small jar. He opens it and pushes his thumb inside to spread whatever contents over Seungcheol's forehead. He whispers something, spreading it next down Seungcheol's chin. Then, Jeonghan leans into Seungcheol's space and presses a kiss on his cheek. 

Something terrible yanks inside Wonwoo's stomach. 

Seungcheol tries to return the kiss, but Jeonghan pushes him away with a gentle nudge. He can see Seungcheol roll his eyes fondly. The two of them hug, and then Jeonghan turns in the direction of the subway station. 

When Seungcheol returns, Wonwoo sees some pink oil smeared on Seungcheol's face.

"So…" Seungcheol starts.

"How do you kill a demon?" Wonwoo suddenly asks.

"I'm sorry."

"How do you kill a demon?" Wonwoo repeats. He knows Mingyu is watching him with concern. 

Seungcheol rubs at the back of his neck, "My friend Vernon has a hunting knife that can kill a demon. As far as I know, that's the only way."

Wonwoo nods, feeling something dark and resolute twist up inside him. "Then, let's go kill a demon." 

  
  


~The day you slipped away

Was the day I found it won't be the same, no~

**Author's Note:**

> Please, please comment! 
> 
> I know the ending is sad, but again I promise I will fix it later. I always end up writing angst with a happy ending.


End file.
